


Partners

by SilenceIsNotGolden



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Counseling, Crime Fighting, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Partnership, lol boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-07 10:17:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16852162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilenceIsNotGolden/pseuds/SilenceIsNotGolden
Summary: Kyoko invites Makoto to assist her with a case where he can use his natural charisma and gregarious charm to speak to an ailing child who had witnessed a terrible crime. Unbeknownst to her, a partnership between them would soon form.





	1. Rapport

**Author's Note:**

> This is a two-part story. I never wrote these two working together and solving crimes so I thought I'd try my hand at it. I will post the first chapter now and update later this week.
> 
> This is in a non-despair universe.

“Boring, Naegi-chan! Kirigiri-chan is super boring. How do you stand her?” A young woman poked a fellow classmate on the cheek. Her red painted manicured nails pricked his skin and going by that mischievous glint brewing in her pastel blue eyes, she was tempted to press a little harder than a simple playful poke.

“What part is boring Enoshima-san? I think Kirigiri-san isn’t boring. And neither is her work! The parts I’m helping her with might be tedious since it’s mostly clerical stuff but-” His mouth was smooshed by her pale hand, silencing him once and for all. Naegi Makoto shoved his classmate’s hand as politely as he possibly could without causing any offense but she was starting to grate him, always calling Kirigiri-san boring, lame, and super uncool. The list could go on! Realizing she was receiving some kind of satisfaction from his reaction didn’t help dissuade him from fighting back with his words. He shouldn’t let her rile him up. He knew that as much. It was just feeding the troll further but how could he stand idly by when someone was talking badly about a person he cared about.

“Shhh, yes, yes. She’s great! An amazing detective! Augh!” Sarcasm was evident in her tone. Enoshima propped her elbows on the table and grinned widely. “It’s like you two skipped the honeymoon phase and went straight to boring domesticated life.”

“Honeymoon- what are you talking about, Enoshima-san!” Naegi’s pitch was two decibels higher than usual, echoing loudly in the rather full cafeteria.

“Leave him alone, Junko-chan.” The rising star of their school’s swim team, Asahina Aoi, and a good friend of Naegi’s spoke on his behalf. Her ponytail bobbed up as she pointed a finger at Junko in a rather dramatic fashion. “You know how sensitive he is!” She uttered in support of him but it ended up sounding like she herself was making fun of him as well. Her rather tanned skin, perky attitude, and striking features made her popular with the student population and she valued the friendships in the few people she has kept but even she admitted that there was a particular delight in teasing Makoto at times. However, Enoshima prodded a bit too personal at times and as a result, Makoto took it upon himself to defend the girl he revered a little too high. Hina elbowed his side. “You’re like Kyoko-chan’s partner, right? Isn’t that like a detective thing?”

“What? I’m more like a secretary, really.”

Another friend, Maizono Sayaka, giggled jocularly at Makoto’s crimson face. She has known him since their junior high days. Granted, she has only gotten to know him better when they became classmates in high school but she has always known him as an optimistic person who displayed his emotions readily, making him easy prey for someone like Enoshima to pick on. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t the pushover Enoshima took him. “Take it easy on him, Junko. You know how much he likes Kirigiri-san. Don’t talk behind her back.”

“Sayaka, not you too.” With sagged shoulders, Makoto retreated back into his hood like a turtle and wanted to hide away until the women were finished with him.

Hina patted him on the back sympathetically, feeling somewhat guilty that she joined in on the harmless fun. “Okay, seriously. We’re done Makoto…”

“Kirigiri-chan and Naegi-chan sitting on the tree…C’mon, Nee-chan. Sing with me.” Enoshima ignored all pretenses of the verbal treaty and continued her assault. She nudged her reticent older twin, Ikusuba Mukuro, on the side and when she wouldn’t hew to Junko, she was stabbed ever so roughly by her younger twin’s razor-sharp nails on her cheeks. “Nee-chan, sing with me. K-i-s...“

A person cleared their throat, alerting her presence to the group. “Why are Naegi-kun and I sitting on a tree, Enoshima?” Like a saving grace, Kirigiri Kyoko entered the fray, rescuing him from utter embarrassment and from Enoshima in general. They must have been too absorbed in the conversation that she sneaked in without anybody noticing her. Despite her contrasting appearance from the student population, she was actually very skillful in blending into the crowd, disappearing from view.

“Kirigiri-san!” Makoto stood up with enough force to almost tip the bench filled with high school students. “Because—-because there’s a dead body hanging up, Kirigiri-san!” Makoto took it upon himself to answer her before Junko said anything worse.

“How unfortunate.” She brought a gloved hand on her chin. “As much as I would love to turn my attention to that particular mystery, we are needed elsewhere.”

“Needed?”

She crossed her arm. “Yes, come.”

Enoshima was the first to speak up and protested. “What? Naegi-chan is hanging out with us, Kirigiri-chan! It’s lunchtime too! Sit with us!”

Hina waved at the detective and chucked an unopened bag of curry bread she was saving for later. No doubt Kyoko hasn’t eaten yet given the abnormally busy schedule she has for a high school student. “Thank you, Hina-san.”

“Hina! Just Hina!” Kirigiri only nodded. “Anyways, Junko is right. Maybe you should sit awhile! You rarely sit with us. Heck, I never see you around this time.”

“I have other duties I must attend to.” Hina frowned, knowing full well that Kyoko’s mind was already made up. It was worth a shot.

Enoshima popped her gum loudly and chewed. “Do you ever just chill, Kirigiri-chan? You know, act like a normal teenager for a change.” The two women stared each other, with the other one batting her long mascaraed lashes slowly as she waited for the lilac-haired detective to respond.

Kirigiri was the one to break their eye contact. “At any rate, Naegi-kun. I will be waiting for you at the parking lot for ten minutes.” She parted a short nod towards Hina, then turned her heel and left, her boots clacking against the white floors of the cafeteria with purpose.

“Did she just ignore me?” Enoshima slammed her palms on the table. Other students from neighboring tables inching slightly away from the rather menacing aura she was exhibiting.

“Umm, I better go see what she needs help with, guys. Sounds like an emergency although I don’t know how much assistance I can give.” He packed up his bag and heads out after a few brief farewells to his classmates. Scurrying out of the danger zone that was Enoshima Junko, he slipped through the double-sided doors and practically sprinted towards the main parking lot. Multiple times he was stopped by roaming student aides patrolling the halls but that didn’t deter him from moving as fast as he humanly could.

Once he was outside, the chilly November air beset his exposed face despite it being well along into the afternoon. He quickly scanned the area and as expected, Kirigiri was waiting patiently, coolly leaning against a black parked car. She lifted her wrist, most likely to glance at her watch. “8 minutes and 35 seconds. I’m assuming Enoshima did not make it easy for you.” Was the first thing that came out of her mouth, all the while bearing a slight smirk at the edge of her lips.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that, Kirigiri-san. You know how she is.”

“Hmm, sure.” The window of the car rolled down, revealing a squinty eye man whose face could kill a person with a simple glare. His medium length curls touched his eyes, screaming that he didn’t bother with the pleasantries of combing them. An unlit cigarette was hanging around the edge of his mouth and occasionally he would suck on it like one would a lollipop. Surprisingly, he wore a standard suit but didn’t bother to include a tie. With gritted teeth, this man began yelling at Naegi to get in the car. “Hey, brat. You’re late! Get in!” He uttered with a threatening growl.

Makoto stood rigidly, obeying the older man’s orders. “Yes, Captain!”

“I swear, Kirigiri. You brats are a pain in the ass.” She entered the front passenger seat and as soon as he settled on the leather seat of the police car she handed him a brown folder. Puzzlement brimmed in his emerald pearls. He was aware she aided the police, lending her vast expertise and he assisted her with menial tasks from time to time but she never handed him one of these folders before. Confusion morphed into awe as he flipped the covering, pertaining a case file about a shooting.

“I won’t beat around the bush, Naegi-kun.” He opened it and listened attentively as she brought him up to speed. “Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise but there isn’t a murder yet. Earlier this morning, a shooting occurred in the Upper District. It is a residential neighborhood. Genial most of the times but today was different.” She directed him to turn the page. There was a picture of a normal family. The young mother was cradling her child in her arms smiling while the father mirrored her expression. “ The Tetsuo family. A family of three. Tetsuo Ren, and his wife Sae and their son, Akira, lives there. Currently, the wife is in intensive care and the husband is missing.”

“What about the son?” Naegi asked concern painted in his features.

“Tetsuo Akira is at the precinct. We are attempting to question him since he is a key witness.” He read that the child was only 7 years old and the poor kid was dealing with all that has happened like this?

“An emergency dispatch was sent to the Tetsuo’s after receiving a call from the child about his mother being hurt. They were found in the child’s bedroom. That’s where the struggle ended. Most likely, she was trying to protect her youngling. Eyewitnesses have reported a red car driving off the scene but the suspects are still unknown.” Naegi clenched his fist. He couldn’t imagine what Akira has been through.  However, it was still undetermined as to what part he had to play in all this.

The police captain, Sukehiro Jun, made a sharp turn around the corner. “Tetsuo is a journalist and he’d been digging around for a story that’ll be his big break. Friends had said he was working on something but it was pretty hush-hush.” Sukehiro caught the young ace detective scrunching her nose. “Ain’t concrete but the department likes Tetsuo-san as the prime suspect only, saying that he has some ties to a crime syndicate and that’s why he got nabbed.”

“I am inclined to disagree.” Kyoko reviewed the file again.

“Of course you are, brat.” The police Captain, Sukehiro Jun, grimaced. “But I’m inclined to agree with you. Them folks are blowing things out of their asses without proof. Just don’t mention the smells in the house.”

Makoto leaned forward, engaged in the torrent of information being disclosed. “Smells?”

“Wafting in the air was a mixture of expensive cologne and the fresh smoke of a cigar. I do not understand how everybody was oblivious to the scent. It was obnoxious.” Kirigiri was studying a notebook amidst all this discussion. No, correction, she was skimming through two books, jotting stuff down in one while intently looking at the other. “There were no signs of tobacco use in the house so presumably, it came from the real suspects. They must have taken the husband. I found this underneath a couch in the living room. A scuffle took place there where the husband fought back.” She showed him the worn out book she was reviewing. The folds of the leather bindings were cracked from the wear and tear of being used frequently. “It’s some sort of log book but it is encrypted to hell. I am deciphering it and so far I’ve unscrambled a few words but without context, they have no meaning. Shidou, tomorrow’s date. Types of fruits. That kind of thing. It’s just a matter of time though.” It could just be Makoto’s imagination but it sounded like she was reveling in the mystery of this case. He didn’t voice that out considering she will just deny it most likely but there were lives at stake here! How could she be having fun?

“So, why do you need me here, Kirigiri-san? It sounds like you have everything in control.” The Captain’s frown deepened into a sharp upside “v” when Makoto spoke.

“Yes, Kirigiri. Elucidate me why we need your boyfriend here again?” Boyfriend! The Captain often called him the “boyfriend” to her face and she never seemed to correct him. He could feel his face heat up but as usual, she remained as placid as a still lake.

“Seeing as though the wife can’t talk, we need Akira-kun to do it for her. Our esteemed and wise Captain here was the first to question him and you can visualize just how the boy reacted to our Captain here.” Sukehiro growled at the uppity tone she used on him.

“I get it! I screwed it up, pain in the ass. Don’t have to keep rubbing it in.” He stated regretfully while keeping his auburn eyes on the road. The term “pain in the ass” was an endearing or not so endearing name the Captain used for Kyoko. Their professional relationship confused Naegi at times. He acted as if he disliked her and yet he would be the first to advocate her ideas whenever there was resistance to them. Makoto had seen this when he was organizing some files for her in the precinct. He had heard the Captain say, “If Kirigiri is wrong, then I wanna know she’s wrong. Look into it.” When it came to detective work, a Kirigiri was rarely wrong and the Captain was highly aware of that fact. There was a sense of trust between them, even if neither would admit it.

The dark-haired Captain raked his messy locks and spat out the cigarette. “The sniveling brat won’t respond to the team psychologist, social worker, nobody. He seemed to not be scared of Kirigiri but he shut down as soon as his parents were brought up so she had a crazy idea that her boyfriend can handle this part.” They were at the police department, driving into the parking lot connected to the precinct.

“Boyfrie- I’m not...handle what part again? If you mean talk to Akira-kun, I don’t think I can do it.”

“Naegi-kun, I need you to talk to him. You’re gregarious in nature. You were able to snare me, a social outcast, into a friendship, didn’t you? I know you. You have the ability to do this.” Her voice softens momentarily.

“Do you have to say, snare?”

For some reason, Naegi never had much confidence in himself, despite the number of times he had pulled through for her. She had hoped that somehow, she was able to convey her trust in him by the continued effort of inviting him to several of her cases but the message wasn’t sinking in through his thick skull. He required a more direct approach. If only he could see what she sees.

“Hey!” The Captain screamed loudly. “I screwed it up so I’m expecting you to fix it, brat!”

Naegi sat motionless, affixed to his spot. The door to his side swung open. He was greeted by one of Kyoko’s rare and unrivaled smile that always managed to stop his heart. “Have faith in yourself, Naegi-kun.” Walking out of the car, he followed her to the familiar precinct, still quite unsure. She led him to one of the interrogation rooms in the building. Inside was probably a scared little boy who just wanted to be reunited with his family. Why keep him in there? There were friendlier rooms he could stay in.

_"I know you. Have faith in yourself... ”_

“Okay.” His head shot up, determination hot in his emerald pools. “I’m going to need paper, pencils, and crayons.” Both Sukehiro and Kirigiri eyed him

“Kotou!” The Captain yelled like he was calling his dog. A tall and rather meek looking man stood up from his desk and saluted. His glasses almost flew from his face given how abrupt his movements were. “Get the brat what he needs.”

“Where can I get crayons, Captain?”

“At the crayon shop, Lieutenant! Now, go!”

“Yes, sir!”

Naegi took in several breaths before proceeding. The kid had witnessed a horrible crime and the last thing he would want was to relieve it again. Kyoko placed a hand on his shoulder. “ I will continue to work things on my end but We have until the end of the day. The aunt will be taking him and once he’s in her custody, I doubt we could questioning him afterward so food for thought... ”

Laughing nervously, Naegi replied with, “Thanks, I guess.” Curling his fingers around the doorknob, he entered the windowless box they called a room and stared at the two-way mirror, fully aware that she was on the other side of it. He approached the boy carefully as to not startle him. Akira glanced up from his lap, apprehension marring his exterior. He was wearing a cardinal t-shirt with a graphic of a snake at the center and khakis. Various untouched snacks were on the table but the young tyke seemed uninterested by them. It was cold, desolate in this place. No wonder he hasn’t budged yet.

“Hi.” Makoto donned his customary smile. “May I sit here.” Pointing to the chair across from the boy, he waiting for the go signal but obtained none. “Okay, I’ll just sit here. If you want me to leave, just say so.” Casting his blue eyes away from the stranger, Akira returned to looking at his hands and fiddled with it. “My name is Makoto. What’s your name?”

Silence only answered. “I heard you met some of my friends here, especially that big mean looking guy with eyes like this.” Makoto mimicked how the Captain’s eyes seemed to slant when crossed or when conversing to anyone in general. “He might look mean but he isn’t. He just acts tough like that but I get that he is scary as a bear.” Akira listened on but kept his eyes down. Makoto was different from the other people that came in the room to talk to him. For one, he didn’t wear the costume that his daddy wore every day. He had a hoodie on. Something he liked to wear.

Makoto perused through the selection of snacks and snatched the pack of Yakult sitting there unattended to. “Oh man. I haven’t had one of these in a while. May I have one?” His tone was amiable and tender, a striking difference as to how everyone else had spoken to him earlier. “I’ll just take one, okay.” He pressed his thumb on the foil cap and picked off the leftover packaging with his fingers. “You want one? The trick is to take all the foil off so you don’t eat any of it.” Akira was waiting for him to bring up the bad memories again but Makoto was speaking to him as though they’ve met before. The boy watched as he punctured a hole into the container’s head. “Here.” True to his words, there was none of that silver stuff at the mouth of the drink. Makoto slid it over to his side.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door. “Here’s what you wanted, Naegi.” Kotou came in with the supplies.

“Thank you, Kotou-san!” The young lieutenant was taken aback by the high schooler’s enthusiasm. No one in the department has thanked him like that before.

“You’re welcome, Naegi.” He soon exited the room, leaving Makoto to carry out his plan.

“So, do you know what origami is?” Again, the brown-haired lad calmly paused for a few minutes to give Akira a chance. “That’s okay if you don’t know. You can use this paper that Kotou-san brought for us and create a lot of things. My friend, Sayaka, taught me how to make it. She’s really good. She has a nice voice too. Like an idol.” The traumatized child stuck to gaping at his lap but he knew what an idol was. He liked songs.

“Anyways, we can make boats, hats, airplanes, animals…” Akira’s head perked up at the introduction of animals. “You like animals?”

For once, Makoto received a teeny nod of the head but eye contact was still at a minimum. “She only taught me a few. I know how to make a swan, a dog, butterflies, frogs…” In addition to peering upwards, Akira curiously tilted his head now ogling at the paper in Naegi’s clutches.

“A frog?” The young boy’s voiced cracked, probably from the long periods where he stayed mute or crying.

“Yes, a frog! You like frogs?”

“Yeah.”

“I bet you do. What’s your favorite animal?” Hesitation left Makoto as soon as Akira began responding to him. He’ll have to thank Sayaka when he gets back to school.

“Snake.”

“A snake? I do like that snake shirt you got on there.” Akira grasped the material of his shirt and frowned. His Mama got it for him. “You’re not scared of snakes?”

Nodding, the boy muttered, “Yeah. They scary cuz they can eat big things.”

“Big things?”

“Yeah, like horses. You are not suppose to play with them. You can if you are a snake wrangler.” A fracture of joy lit up in his cerulean irises. “That’s what my book says”

“Wow, I didn’t know that! A snake wrangler! Are frogs your second favorite then?” Akira quietly nodded again. Makoto folded a piece of paper and handed him the half. “ I don’t know how to make a snake but we can definitely make a frog. Want a big or small one?”

“A big one. Big ones are not scary.”

“They aren’t?”

“No.” Akira was kicking off a stream of fact bombs about reptiles and amphibians alike that the high schooler could barely keep up. The kid wasn’t as shy as Naegi initially thought.

“You know many things about animals. You’re going to be my teacher soon.” Faint giggling struck Naegi’s eardrum and he realized they came from the 7-year-old. He laid out the paper before them. “You fold it like this first.”

Together, Naegi guided the youngster as they constructed their paper frogs and bring it to life.

On the side of the mirror, Kyoko attentively observed the gradual transformation in the boy’s overall demeanor. He was more engaged in the interactive activity Makoto had initiated and they even embarked on a coloring contest to see who would produce the “coolest” frog. “Detective Kirigiri will be our judge.” A confident grin was plastered on his face and although he couldn’t see her, his eyes locked onto hers, holding her steely gaze in his. “You’ve met her, right? The pretty detective who has a face like this.” Presumably, the stoic expression he has drawn on his face was how he perceived her normally impassive countenance. First, he mocked the Captain and now her? Were there no limits to his audacity? The edges of her lips arched up.

“She gave me the Yakult.” She had presumed small children like Akira were fond of the creamy drink but her inability to emotionally relate to him wasn’t enough to form a connection like the one Naegi had molded with the young lad.

“Did she now? She is really nice.” As an onlooker, rather than the usual recipient in the dialogue, she noted how his emerald orbs gleamed at the mere reference of her name. His handsome lineaments shone more so than ever before, causing a rumble in the prison where she kept most of her emotions locked up. She clenched her fist and sealed in any of the breakages that leaked if there were any.

“Your boyfriend seems to be doing better than all of us. Perhaps, you did make the right call, Kirigiri.” Beside her was Captain Sukehiro, carrying his standard scowl and general tetchy mien.

“Of course, I did.” He snarled at her smugness.

“But will your boyfriend get more from the sniveling brat? He isn’t here to play with him.” Dumping more emphasis on “boyfriend,” the Captain simpered when she glowered at him.

Boyfriend. “Tch.” Admonishing the Captain from using that term will only fuel the flame. If he realized it bothered her, it would only embolden him to continue his provocation. No, she will not be laid victim to his trap. She fortified her already stoic visage. “I prefer the term, partner, Captain.”

“Partner, huh? Of course, you would pick a civilian.” A sneer struck the Captain’s irritated facade, adding more alarming lines to his frightening face. “You do only play nice when he’s around.”

“I am always nice.”

Sukehiro cackled aloud. “That’s rich!”

“Anyways, Naegi-kun is building rapport with the boy. Give him some time. Akira-kun will cooperate.” Kirigiri politely disregarded any other attempts of small talk the captain had commenced with a hushed, “Shh.”

“Did you just, “shh” me, Kirigiri?”

“I am paying close attention, sir.” The older man was preparing a rebuke until he noticed Naegi’s effort in gaining their attention.

“I bet this place is all stuffy, isn’t it…” Naegi peered straight ahead.

“Akira.” The 7-year old whispered.

“What was that?”

“My name is Akira.”

“Oh!” It dawned on Makoto that Akira hasn’t introduced himself yet. “That’s a cool name, Akira!” The childish wonder in Akira’s azure pearls has somewhat returned as he mumbled out a thank you. “Say, Akira. I bet you’re hungry being stuck here all day. Why don’t we get something to eat? I know there’s a cafe a block from here. Detective Kirigiri and I have been there before!”

“We can leave?” Anxiety shook the young boy’s voice. Naegi nodded at the two-way mirror when he heard a knock on the other side.

“Of course we can. We just have to tell them where we’re going.”

Captain Sukehiro Jun clicked his tongue and handed the younger detective a fold of money.  “Go with them, Kirigiri. Kotou, follow closely behind.” Raising his hand, he marched back in his office, slamming the door with a curt bang. Most likely, the police captain is keeping out of sight to prevent the boy from seeing him and retreat back in his shell. He will follow up on other leads in the meantime.

The door to the interrogation room creaked open. Naegi’s head rocked to and fro, searching for a particularly frightening bear. “The Captain isn’t here, Naegi-kun.”

“Oh, did you hear that, Akira! You can come out now.” The boy hid behind his new friend and only peeked his head out when Kyoko began speaking.

“It’s just Detective Kirigiri. We like her, don’t we?” An affirmative hum was all Makoto heard from him.

Akira tucked his tiny hands in Makoto’s. “Yeah…”

“The Captain said okay, Detective Kirigiri?”

“Hmm, sure.” Unaccustomed to being called detective by him, she bit her tongue and kept her impish remarks to herself for now. She was enjoying the way he was calling her detective a bit too much.

The high schooler felt a tug on his arm. “Don’t worry, Akira. Detective Kirigiri will protect us. She won’t let any of the bad guys get us. She’s really strong.”

Akira examined Detective Kirigiri and then Makoto. His eyes glowed brightly, like how his Daddy’s would light up when he was around Mama so the detective couldn’t be too bad. Because Makoto liked her. “Strong like my mama?”

“Yeah!” Naegi was unsure of how he would respond if the kid brought up his mother’s whereabouts but thankfully, Akira didn’t inquire further. But, this was progress. Akira broached the topic of his mother unprompted. He was starting to trust them. “Just like her.”

Kyoko restrained from interjecting while the two conversed. She appreciated how Makoto attended to the boy. She was right to place her faith in him. “Let us depart, Naegi-kun.” Her instincts were rarely wrong.


	2. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 is here! Thank you to all who commented and gave kudos! You guys are awesome!!

The bell resting on the cafe’s door jingled, signaling a new customer has arrived. Makoto scanned the usually crowded eatery. Today, was no different but fortunately, there was a table by the window. Clear display windows enticingly exhibited a variety of pastries and sweets all up front, making Makoto drool. He saw that it was having the same effect on the boy. “Akira, why don’t you get that seat for us. I’ll see if I can get a menu.” Hesitating, Akira glanced up at Makoto, unwilling to release his grip on the high schooler. Being in the public like this made the 7-year-old behave more timidly. What if someone tried to hurt him and his new friends? And he couldn’t protect them...

“Go on, Naegi-kun. I will handle it.” He turned to the phlegmatic detective and expressed his gratitude. 

“C’mon, Akira.” Once they reserved their table, they played musical chairs, figuring out where the other would sit. It was an unnecessary play but Makoto wanted to uplift the kid’s spirits again. He sensed that Akira’s glum was returning. Sitting right beside him, the boy fiddled with the paper frog they had created back at the precinct. “You want to finish coloring it?” Naegi pocketed the crayons from earlier just in case Akira wanted to work on it. The lad pressed on the frog’s tail and it jumped. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He felt a tap on his head. There was a folded menu on top! Kyoko only smirked and took her seat right across from them. “Thank you, Detective Kirigiri!” He opened the list of food items and shared it with Akira.

“No problem.” She crossed her legs and continued to observe. The boy was retreating back in his shell. Was it the ambiance? Changing the scenery was supposed to soothe the child not rattle him. She was curious about which direction Makoto would take this. After all, he had a way of surprising her, negating other possibilities she may have concocted.

“I want a warm drink. You want one too, Akira?” Akira took that as a sign to answer with a short nod. 

Studying the beverages section, Akira finally saw a selection he liked. “Hot chocolate.” He sounded out the words.

Makoto emerald pearls lit up with excitement. He loved hot chocolate and wondered if there would be marshmallows on top. “Marshmallow?” He must have spoken out loud so he explained that when he was younger, his mom would add marshmallows on top when she made his sister and him hot chocolate. 

“You have a sister, Makoto nii-san?” Makoto beamed at being referred to as a big brother by the 7-year-old. 

“Yeah! My little sister. Why?”

“Nothing. I want a little sister but I’m not strong.” Confused how strength and having a younger sibling correlated, Naegi was about to clarify it with him but Akira already moved on and inquired about a name of a certain food he was unfamiliar with. “What’s a cwo-sant?”

“Croissant. It’s a fancy bread. This croissant is served with ham and cheese. It’ll be like a sandwich. I want one now.” 

A fancy bread? “That sounds yummy. I want one too.” Expectantly, Akira peeked over the quiet detective’s direction. “Do you want one too, Detective nee-san?”

Makoto stifled his laughter. “Detective nee-san” was the cutest nickname anyone had used on the self-assured sleuth. She must have detected his amusement since he was met with a kick on his shin. The boot wasn’t painful and merely acted as a warning that he better tread carefully. Apparently, she wasn’t as amused as he was. 

“Sure.” Was her succinct reply. 

“I bet Detective nee-san wants coffee.” Unaffected by her “warning”, Makoto proceeded with the nickname. Akira stuck out his tongue, disgusted that coffee was mentioned. “It’s bitter, isn’t it? Detective Kirigiri loves it though.” 

“Yeah, it’s bitter and yucky.” 

Kyoko didn’t care for being ganged up on and defiantly crossed her arms. “I see. Why don’t I order for us.” She took the menu off of Makoto’s hands, briefly glared at him and then lightly smacked him on the head with said menus before heading towards the counter. He might have teased her too much but now, she was more aware of how he felt when she messed with him. 

Akira giggled at their spectacle. They were funny. “Hey, what’re you laughing at, pal?”

“She hit you. Mama rolls a newspaper and smacks Daddy with it when he annoys her.” Makoto nervously chuckled at the revelation. “But they are playing like you two.”

“Oh? I guess we are playing, huh.”

“Yeah but sometimes they play weird. Like they eat each other! I got upset. I tell Auntie but she laugh.” Makoto’s lips twitched, unable to respond.

Akira’s line of inquiries wasn’t finished. “Why they do that?” 

“You’ll know when you’re older.”

“That is what Auntie say too!” He pats the young lad on the head, urging him to change the subject. “Do Makoto nii-san play weird with Detective nee-san too? Is that what big kids do?”

“Umm…” By this point, Makoto reddened by the minute, very mindful of what the “weird play” he was alluding to. “N-no! Detective Kirigiri and I are friends. I consider her one of my best friends, actually. Friends don’t play weird like that.”

“Really? But Daddy say Mama is his best friend. I don’t get it.” The boy had a raised quandary that Makoto couldn’t fully explain. 

“Why don’t you ask your mom when you see her.” Akira’s doleful frown returned and Makoto ruffled his head. “Don’t worry. You’ll see your mom. Probably, when your auntie picks you up.”

“But, I don’t know. I’m not strong.” Akira withdrew his hands from his lap and toyed with the paper amphibian some more.

“What do you mean by that?” Makoto wasn’t losing this opportunity in probing this matter further. He was not strong. Why did he need to be strong?

“Mama got hurt cuz I’m not strong. Daddy got stolen cuz I’m not strong. I want to get strong but I don’t know how.” The fog was clearing up. Akira blamed himself for what happened to his parents. Because he wasn’t strong enough to protect them. To bear that self-blame would make any adult crumble let alone a child. Considering all he has been through, he was handling it well for someone his age.

“You’re quite brave, Akira, to be telling me all this. To admit your faults and want to get stronger.”

Akira titled his head. “My faults?” 

“What you think you can be better at.” Makoto pointed at the boy’s heart. “Not many adults can admit their faults and want to work on them. That already shows me how strong you are.”

“Really?” Cerulean gleamed vibrantly as the boy was captivated by his older friend’s words.

“Yeah! And you know what else?” Leaning forward, Makoto whispered like he spelling out a secret.

“What?” Following in suit, Akira lowered his voice as well. 

“You can start showing how strong you are by helping Detective Nee-san out. She is a super duper, ultimate detective, you know. She can find the bad guys who hurt your mama and stole daddy.”

Mouth agape, the boy peered over Makoto’s shoulder, at the approaching lilac haired detective. She was carrying a tray of delectable food. “Super, duper, ultimate detective? Woah, that’s a lot of cool words.”

“Right, Akira? You’re gonna be her partner for today!” 

After delivering a hot cup of caffeine to Lieutenant Kotou, who sat at a nearby table, Kirigiri returned to the table where the boys were and she found them huddled together like a couple of gossiping children. She laid down the trays but they were too distracted by their conversation to notice her. A soft smile ghosted upon her lips. Makoto was great with children. He was at his element when it came to communing with people. His easy-going disposition, optimism, and natural charisma was a great combination, that even she became captivated by him. It also made him dangerous to someone like her.

“Partner? Like the buddy system?” Partner? Kyoko pursed her mouth while a hand traveled to her chin. What are they debating about?

“But, aren’t you her partner, Makoto nii-san.” 

“Nah, I’m like her secretary.”

“A secretary? What’s that?” 

“It someone who helps. Not really what is considered a partner. But you! You and she are going to catch the bad guys together!”

Streaks of lavender visited Naegi’s peripheral and all of the sudden, he felt a lingering presence behind them. “Food is here.” The boys bounced from their chairs when she manifested out of nowhere, like a ghost. “What did I miss?” Kyoko casually stated as if speaking about the weather. 

Akira held his fists up high. “We’re gonna catch the bad guys, Super, Duper, Ultimate Detective nee-san!”

“Super, duper?” Whatever Naegi-kun had done, it was enough to rouse the boy’s conviction. This must be the first time she’d seen him so steadfast and full of energy. “I see.”

“Yeah! And I’m gonna be your partner?” Akira wanted to confirm with the detective.

“Is that right?” Her eyes darted towards Makoto. “I suppose, why not.” 

Akira gasped in excitement. “But Makoto nii-san is your partner too, right? We can all catch the bad guys!”

Kyoko ambled back to her chair and folded her arms. “My partner? Yes, I suppose he is. However, I will allow two for today.” Naegi blinked twice at how nonchalant she was at naming him her “partner.” She was merely humoring their young friend here but being recognized by her in such a way felt nice.

“But as my partners…” She focused on the boys. “I need you both at full strength so eat first. We cannot catch the bad guys on an empty stomach, right?”  
“R-right!” Makoto stuttered out. 

“Yeah!” Enthusiasm filled the air as Akira chomped on the sandwich with blatant urgency. A few bites later, the youngster was ready to draw out what he saw, even if it invoked bad memories. He had to be tough for his parents. “What do I say, Detective nee-san?”

There were plenty of inquiries she could hurl at the boy but given the effort exerted to reach this point, she must practice mindfulness, lest he detracted again. “How many bad guys were there?”

“Umm, two?” Akira raised his eyes to the ceiling fan, mesmerized by the spinning blades. “Two bad guys.” He sounded surer of himself. 

“What did they look like? Any disfigurements, tattoos?” 

“Disfig...what? What’s a tattoo?” 

“Disfigurements are defects on the body. Tattoos are pictures on one’s skin.” 

Akira gawked at her. He didn’t know what “defects” meant but... “I want pictures on my skin!”

“Maybe later. Try to focus.” 

“Okay!”

Makoto was tempted to interrupt. She can’t simply tell a kid that he could get “pictures on their skin” later. They’ll never forget that. “Let’s not think about pictures on your skin, Akira. Why don’t you draw the bad guys out.” Makoto handed him a piece of paper to help Akira visualize the scene more. 

“One of the bad guys have no hair…and other bad guy eat a big stick in his mouth. It was on fire. ” He drew a circle, which was the head of a person, donning sunglasses. “ No hair wear dark glasses like this.” With a red crayon, he drew harsh squiggly lines by the edge of the circle. “He got hurt cuz Mama kicked him. No Hair is stealing me but Mama takes me to my room and I hear a loud pop. Mama is all red and...and...so I hide but...the bad guy….the bad guy...” The corners of the boy’s eyes were starting to be doused with salty tears. 

“Take a break, Akira-kun. Drink some of your hot chocolate.” He obeyed her suggestion. Keeping track the ticking of the clock, she briefly eyed her wristwatch while tapping her gloved pointer finger in tandem on the table. Ordinarily, her patience would wear thin during moments like this but the kid has grown on her. “Ready?”

He ceased his sniffling. “Yeah.”

“Answer the best you can. Do you know what they were after?” 

“What that mean?”

She cleared her throat, pondering on a way to rephrase it. It wasn’t a difficult question but to someone so young, “a bad guy’s” motivations would fly over their head. Makoto observed her frown so he took over for a short bit. “Akira, you told me they stole Daddy. Do you remember if they said anything to Daddy when he was being stolen?”

“What they say? They say...um,” Akira tossed a frustrated look over his drawing. “They say, um, they bring Daddy to go see ducks? There is tons of ducks. And then they say there gonna be a boat on the duck. That is weird.”

Kyoko scribbled the word “ducks” on her notepad. “Ducks? Boats...Hmm...” She wrote it again until there were two columns of it. Ducks...she reviewed her notes on the case. Her eyes widened.

“Docks.”

“Yeah! Ducks!”

The encrypted book that was found in the crime scene. It could be a shipping manifest. The boy must have heard “docks” not “ducks.” There were still much to uncover in the book but she does have what appeared to be the names of particular ships they could delve into, starting with the ones whose arrival dates were upcoming. “I see.”

“The bad guys are mean and weird.” 

Kyoko nodded in agreement. “Is there anything else, Akira-kun? Anything, no matter how small, would be helpful. You are doing a good job.” She encouraged.

“Um, No hair! He have...um,” Slapping the backside of his hand, the youngster kept pointing at it. “It was bright blue. His Sensei stamp him. This part! It have squiggles. I see it cuz he try to steal me with his…” He reoriented his digits so he doesn’t get mixed up between his left and right. “...right hand!” 

“Draw it for me.” Using a blue crayon this time, he scrawled down two uneven “squiggly” lines that were most akin to an approximation symbol.

“I think the bad guy does his homework a lot cuz his sensei stamp him for a good job! ”

Makoto chuckled at his innocence. He highly doubted the bad guy concerned himself with homework. “It’s a stamp mark? Now, what reason would an adult have such a marking?” A stamp with blue waves like that. Why did it seem familiar? Unconsciously, he lifted a hand to his chin and coincidentally enough, Kyoko had done the same. Akira switched back and forth between his new friends and was obliged to follow what they were doing. Maybe that was a detective thing to do.

“Naegi-kun, what about events. I am aware that certain establishments downtown have this VIP stamp passes that they employ upon their guests.” She was referring to nightclubs. There were famous ones that had these kinds of passes. The ink on these stamps was special and didn’t wash off easily. There were at least a few dozens of clubs that utilized such stamps.

“Hey! You reminded me of something!” Makoto scrolled through his pictures on his phone from a few days ago. “Leon was bragging about how he got entrance to a club that’s hard to get in.“ Lending her his phone, he showed her the photo that was texted to him. “He took a picture of this and showed it to me. Look familiar.” The detective examined the photograph. Despite the lightning, it was taken in, Kyoko could definitely see the similarities between what Akira drew and the design on Kuwata’s hand. Worthy enough to be another lead. Coincidence or not, Makoto had an odd, unexplainable luck that followed him around. If this lead pulled through, she’ll have another puzzle to resolve.

He swiped up to scour for the text where Leon wrote the name. 

“Okina Nami. That’s the name of the place.” 

“Okina Nami? It’s worth a check. ” Kyoko pushed her chair back, prepared to leave and share her findings with the captain. “My partners, you have been a great help. Now, it is my turn.” A bright and cheery smile danced across the boys’ face as they faced one another. 

She passed over some of the leftover money the captain had lent her. “Naegi-kun, use it.”

Makoto accepted the folded banknotes and slipped it into his pocket. He was about to decline but had a feeling she was going to take no for an answer. “Hey! You’re going now?” 

“Yes, I believe I have plenty to go on with. However, if he imparts more details, contact me posthaste, Partner.”

It was an understatement to say that her usage of the term “partner” welled more joy than he could carry. And also, he was pretty sure he was turning red since his face felt hot. “You got it, Detective.” 

As she was about to leave, Akira stopped her. “Wait! Detective nee-san! Your sandwich! You can’t catch bad guys with an empty stomach, right?” 

A small “o” formed on her lips before she recognizing that was her advice to him just moments ago. “You are correct. I will take the food to go then. I will see you both later.” She first sauntered back to Lieutenant Kotou and apprised him of what had transpired before exiting the cafe. 

“We’ll let Detective Kirigiri handle things from here. Hey, Akira. Do you want to get something sweet? Maybe a treat for your auntie too?”

“Yeah, okay!” Makoto grinned that he was able to help both Kyoko and his new friend. Hopefully, what they found out today would be enough. Knowing how brilliant she was at her job, the bad guys better watch out. He would just have to wait and let her do her thing.

…

A couple of days later…

Makoto shifted in his sleep, burying his face in the soft coverings of his pillow. Drool probably covered the sheet now as he sucked in and dug deeper into the cozy heat of the comforters.

“Naegi-kun.”

Moaning, he picked up his languid head and with half-opened eyelids, trailed over to the direction of the voice “Kirigiri-san, morning.” 

“Good morning.” 

His head sunk back into the cushion, elated by her presence. Wait...her presence? Jolting upwards, his eyeballs nearly jumped out of their sockets when their eyes connected. Nonchalantly seated on his chair with legs crossed, the lilac-haired detective kept her stolid gaze on him while his brain fully registered her unannounced appearance in his room. 

“Kirigiri-san! How’d you get in?”

With a gloved hand, her index finger pointed to the only obvious entryway. “You must really exercise caution and lock your door, Naegi-kun.”

Makoto scratched his head. It sounded like him but he could’ve sworn he did lock his door last night. 

“Anyways, since you were part of the Tetsuo case, I thought to notify you on where we are, in terms of resolving it.” Wiping off the sleep from his eyes, he gave her his undivided attention. “We found Tetsuo-san being kept in a cargo ship docked at the downtown port. Apparently, the crime boss he was investigating for his story got wind of Tetsuo-san and well, you know the rest.” Makoto stayed quiet as relief swept his exterior upon hearing of the good news. “He was beaten but alive thankfully. The department will continue overseeing the various ports in the city and intervene. The ship was hauling interesting merchandise labeled as fruits so no doubt the rest of its ilk will contain similar products.”

He quirked his eyebrows. “Fruits?”

“Drugs, Naegi-kun.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“Your tip on Okina Nami paid off as well. No Hair was discovered on the scene, inebriated. It made arresting him entertaining. It was his red car found in the scene of the crime. The Captain is continuing to break him as we speak.” Concerned riddled Makoto’s emerald irises when it struck him what “break” constituted. Actually, maybe he didn’t want to think about that so early in the morning. Speaking of morning, it reads 6 am on his phone. Why was he awake at 6 am on a Sunday morning?

“Anyways, Naegi-kun. I extend my gratitude for your aid. Mind you, I don’t normally handle cases like this but it has been a slow week. A few weeks, really.” An audible sigh escaped from her. She regularly accepted homicide cases. 

“That’s a good thing, right? There’s been no murder lately?”

“Hmm, sure.” It should be a cause for concern when somebody was disappointed that nobody has been murdered yet. “I’ve noticed, Naegi-kun, that we work well together, you and I.” Somewhat embarrassed by her thoughtful compliment, out of habit, Naegi rubbed the back of his head and flushed slightly. 

He spoke in a cordial manner. “It was really all Akira. And you and the police did most of the heavy lifting. I just talked.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Naegi-kun. That’s why…” She paused while she processed her words. “I’d like, no prefer that…” She was acting almost shyly. Clearing her throat, she resumed as her infamous composure was restored. “I’d appreciate it if our partnership remained. I...I like the sound of it.” Some of her infamous composure lodged in her throat.

Their eyes locked. Lavender and emerald clashed with one another, and for a while there, the detective thought it was a sign that he was about to reject her proposal.”Yeah! That’s sounds fine. Just no dead bodies for me, okay?”

“Oh…” She shook her head. “Of course. I was expecting more resistance but great.” 

He rested on his bed, his legs crossed like a pretzel and observed an array of emotions washed her typically unflappable mask. “Are you sure though? I don’t know how good I’ll be as your partner.”

“I wouldn’t have a suggested it if you weren’t capable. I...I trust you implicitly. So...yes. I am sure.” Pink dusted her pale complexion and she brushed it off quickly before she lost her nerve. Kyoko didn’t often verbalize the inner workings of her mind so when he sees brief glimpses of them, he witnessed another side to her. “Now, that’s out of the way.” She steered his focus on his study desk where a small tray of breakfast items was laid out in an orderly fashion. “Eat.” Then, she showed him a pair of shirt and pants that belonged in his attire. It was left on the side of his bed “And clothe yourself. I will grant you 20 minutes.” 

“You picked out my clothes? And you went through my closet?”

“You haven’t much time, Naegi-kun. Fortunately, we have a murder to solve today so I’d advise you to pick up the pace.” Scrutinizing lilac beads surveyed his every move. 

“Don’t you mean, unfortunately.” Makoto lifted his top over his head but halfway through, it loomed on him that she was still eyeballing him. “Kirigiri-san, can you turn around while I change?”

“Of course.” A minute had passed and he had already disrobed, at least his shirt. “I must warn you, Naegi-kun, I still have a full view from the reflection of the mirror.” True to her words, her eyes never abandoned his. 

“Kirigiri-san, then close your eyes!!” A rather entertained chuckle sailed through his eardrums. Sweltering, crimson heat raked his entire form. 

“So, that’s how far the redness goes.” She teased. 

“Kirigiri-san!”

She backed off and headed towards the door. Gripping the door handle, she articulated one more thing before evacuating his quarters. “20 minutes, Partner.”

Once the door shut behind her, he collapsed back on his bed and momentarily capped his eyes with an arm. “Partner, huh. What did you get yourself into, Makoto?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a clean resolution for the crime because I didn't want it to be too complicated. 
> 
> I'll probably write more of these. I have a few ideas in mind!
> 
> Let me know what you guys think of the story!

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think of the first chapter? Hate it? Love it? or Meh? Just let me know. Also, I listed a few references from other animes and games. If you spotted and/or know about them, good for you!


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